Design and Style

Production design refers to the whole process of the design, style and the look of a production. It also includes all the elements placed in front of the camera to be photographed such as the set design, filming locations and props used. Each of thse elements, even down to the detail of what colours are used, add to the visual style of a film. A French term, mise-en-scene, is sometimes used to describe production design.

Location

The location is the place where the action takes place. Locations are written into the script and are carefully selected to communicate the correct information about the story and its setting. Locations are divided into exterior and interior locations.

Setting

A setting is the place where the action occurs. Sets, including indoor and outdoor settings, can be artificially constructed in a studio. Even when natural settings are available (for example a kitchen in a house) the director might prefer to construct the set. With a set, walls can be easily moved to enable the camera to shoot from different angles and lighting can be easily changed to suit the time of day and atmosphere required. A set usually has no roof - this is good for both camera and lighting arrangements.

These settings are created through a mix of existing locations and studio sets. Because the different components of a scene can be shot in entirely different places, the interior scenes on a set can be shot weeks apart from the exterior scenes for the same episode.

The Genie from Down Under series, for example, involves two major settings - Townes Hall in England and Townes Downs in Australia. The style of Penelope's grand English home (Townes Hall in England) adds to the creation of her as a snobbish, upper-class English schoolgirl. In comparison, the run down, barren outback image of the Australian Townes Downs provides a strong visual contrast.

In the Round the Twist series there were no rooms in the real lighthouse - it was too small with only a staircase leading to the light at the top. All the rooms seen in the series, such as the kitchen and the bedrooms, were created in a studio as sets. They were made to match the look of the lighthouse from the outside so that the audience believed that a lighthouse was a perfectly good family home on the inside.

Props
Props are the obvious items seen and used in a production. Props may include a car, truck, souvenirs or stuffed toys. Some examples of props are shown below.

Setting up the turtle prop in episode 7, Smelly Feat, Round the Twist 2.	Otto Von Meister's tour truck, Genie from Down Under

Set dressing

Set dressing items are not necessarily used in the action but they help create a convincing atmosphere. Items such as vases, photographs, pictures on the walls and curtains help to create a convincing atmosphere. Set dressing plays a significant role in communicating information about the personality and lifestyle of the character. A set might require a contemporary, period or fantasy setting. Set dressing can tell the audience a lot about the characters, their background and their stories.

Costume, make-up and hair-styling

Costume and appearance are vital elements in conveying information about a character's personality in a story. They also tell us the period in which the story is set. First impressions of appearance are very important to how the audience interprets this information.

For example, we know that certain types of clothes are used in particular situations - at a simple level, a white lab coat may indicate the character is a scientist, or the use of spectacles shows an intelligent or perhaps wimpish character. Many of these associations have been created by stereotypes used in television and film over a long period of time. We know they are not necessarily true in real life but we understand them when we see them.

At a more complex level, viewers expect the way the character is dressed and groomed will give information about the type of person the character is, their social and economic background, their job, the era of the film etc. Costume is a very important way of signifying the difference between characters. The images below show actor Mark Mitchell in a variety of roles. How he looks and the image he presents has been changed by the use of costume, make-up and hair, along with facial expression and body language.

Lift Off	Lift Off	Genie from Down Under 2	Genie from Down Under 2

script & storyboard I casting I lighting & sound I camera I design I acting I editing